Embark on an unforgettable 15-day adventure through the heart of South Sudan, where ancient traditions and stunning landscapes await.
From the captivating Mundari Cattle Camp to the fascinating communities of Toposa, Jiye, Larim, and Lotuko, immerse yourself in a journey of cultural discovery and natural wonder.
South Sudan is the newest country in Africa and has not yet been discovered by tourists.
We will take you to the untouched lands of the Mundari cattle shepherds, the tallest humans on the planet, who live in a Stone Age state on the shores of the mighty White Nile river in harmony with their livestock.
They are renowned for their numerous cow herds, guarded by Kalashnikov guns, and their rich vernacular culture.
We will also explore four other tribal villages hidden in the mountains of East Equatoria State: Toposa, Jiye, Larim, and Lotuko.
Toposa is the most traditional group in South Sudan, with its nose and lip piercings, and Lotuko is the tribe that lives in the mountains near Imatong mountain, South Sudan’s highest mountain.
You will live in the cattle herder’s camp following nomads in the swamp on the White Nile river, and then take small canoes across the river to reach the surrounding islands.
Discover the world’s newest country to the fullest. See highlights of this South Sudan tour below.
15-Day South Sudan Tour Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival & Hotel Transfer
- Day 2: Fly to Kapoeta & Visit Toposa Tribe
- Day 3, 4 & 5: Visit Toposa & Jiye Villages
- Day 6: Transfer to Boya Hills
- Day 7: Visit Lotuko People
- Day 8: Transfer to Torit
- Day 9: Transfer to Juba
- Day 10: Transfer to Mundari Tribal Territory
- Day 11, 12 & 13: Visit Mundari Tribe
- Day 14: Transfer Back to Juba
- Day 15: Airport Transfer & Departure
Detailed 15-Day South Sudan Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival & Hotel Transfer
Travel by air to Juba, capital of South Sudan, the youngest country on earth. You will be met by a guide who will pick you up at the airport and take you to the Royal Palace hotel.
Arrange your travel permit (stamp in your passport). Free time to relax or explore the city. Dinner and overnight at the Royal Palace.
Day 2: Fly to Kapoeta & Visit Toposa Tribe
After breakfast in the morning, you will be transferred to the airport, where you will take a 2-hour domestic flight to Kapoeta, located in the east of the country and an ideal base to visit the Toposa tribal area.
Toposa is a Turkana speaking tribe who are cattle-herding people who have resisted the influence of the west until now.
Toposa people have traditionally herded cattle, sheep, and goats and were involved in the ivory trade in the past.
They have a history of constant war, usually cattle raids, with their neighbors.
Depending on the time of arrival, we will be able to visit the first Toposa tribal villages. Enjoy dinner and stay overnight at Mango Camp.
Day 3, 4 & 5: Visit Toposa & Jiye Villages
Take three full days to visit Toposa tribe and Jiye tribe villages. Toposa tribe and Jiye tribe belong to what is known as the “karamojong cluster” which also includes the people of the southwest of Ethiopia and the Turkana tribe of Kenya.
The main economic and social life of the Toposa tribe revolves around the herding of cattle, camels, and donkeys, as well as goats and sheep.
The boys are first trained to look after the goats and sheep and then to look after the cattle when they come of age. The main measure of wealth and status is the possession of cattle and a loaded gun.
Cattle have always been in competition with their neighbors for water and pasture, and the Toposa always competed with their neighbors for cattle rustling. Toposa also hunt gold and other precious items in the stream bed.
Both Toposa tribes and Jiye tribe continue to dress in their traditional clothes (Leather-Beaded Skirts) and piercings on their lips and scars on their arms, chest, and face.
Each scarification is an art. Visit different communities and enjoy the welcome dances. After that, spend the night in tents at Mango Camp.
Day 6: Transfer to Boya Hills
After breakfast, we will take a 2-hour drive to the Boya Hills to meet the members of the tribal minority known as the “Larim” (Boya).
The members of this group speak the Murle language and are highly skilled architects. They also have nose piercings, lips piercings, and scars on their bodies.
The members of this tribe keep cattle and cultivate seasonal crops such as Sorghum, Corn, and Beans. Widowed women wear vegetable cords around their legs and heads.
This group is considered one of the most traditional groups in South Sudan.
Day 7: Visit Lotuko People
After breakfast, take a 4-hour drive to the mountain kingdom of llieu, where a priest-king rules.
Visit the 14th-century stone walls and explore the village. Meet the Lotuko people, who live in a region with a variety of ranges and mountain spurs, including the Imatong mountain, which is the highest mountain in South Sudan.
The Lotuko are an ethnic group of Nilotic origin, and their religion is based on the natural world and ancestral worship, which is deeply rooted in their ethnic identity.
They keep large herds of cattle and sheep, as well as goats, and supplement their income with hoe-growing, hunting, and fishing.
The land is not owned by one individual, but rather in trust by the local community.
After finding a suitable location, the group decides on the boundaries of each person’s garden, with some areas following for many years. Accommodation will be in tents.
Day 8: Transfer to Torit
After our previous visits around the village, we say goodbye to the mountain kingdom and take a 2-hour drive to Torit town.
On the way, we can observe local life. We stay at the Torit hotel and check-in.
Afterward, we will dine at a Northern Sudanese restaurant on the main colonnaded street.
Day 9: Transfer to Juba
After breakfast, embark on a long drive to Juba (8 hours). On the way, make a stop in the town of Uch as Liria. When you arrive in Juba, check-in at the Royal Palace hotel.
After that, dine at Da Vinci restaurant with a beautiful view of the Nile. Also, visit the River and the old metal bridge, which is the only place in Juba where you can take photos of the Nile.
Day 10: Transfer to Mundari Tribal Territory
Start your day with breakfast and a 4×4 drive to the South Sudan bush. It will take 4 hours to reach the Mundari tribal territory. When you reach Terakeka, the regional capital, walk around the market and meet the first Mundari tribe people.
After checking with the local authorities, drive to a cattle camp where you will spend the night. Spend a full day learning about the Mundari daily lifestyle. Mundari is a small ethnic group related to the Nilotic people. Mundari and neighboring Dinka people are sometimes known as the tallest people in Africa (along with the Tutsi of Rwanda).
Mundari tribe lands are located about 75 kilometers north of South Sudan’s capital, Juba, in Central Equatoria’s Terekeka State. The land is mostly flat with occasional isolated large hills, but the low-lying land has many rivers and lakes, making it a very fertile area for cattle grazing. Accommodation is provided in tents.
Day 11, 12 & 13: Visit Mundari Tribe
Stay with the Mundari tribe for 3 full days. Set up camp on one side of the White Nile river and use small canoes to cross the river to the other side and islands. Also, follow the nomads and their cattle.
Visit the camp and the small Mundari villages, where facial and body scars are still practiced to this day. The Mundari villages are also interesting because of their vernacular architecture, such as huts, black & white totems, and beautifully built granaries.
The Mundari, like all Nilotic tribes, are very cattle-oriented. Cattle are used as food, a form of currency, and a symbol of status. Marriages are arranged where the groom offers cattle to the bride’s family, and the husband may marry as many wives as he can support.
Mundari engage in cattle raiding wars with neighboring Dinka during the dry season. Mundari men take their weapons at night and go into the bush to secure their cattle.
The Mundari have kept alive their traditional animistic religion, while the neighboring Dinka lost most of it due to war and conversion to Christianity.
The Mundari, like many other non-indigenous tribes in Sudan, practice ritual scarification for young men as a rite of passage into adulthood.
The Mundari scar pattern is made up of 2 sets of 3 parallel lines, each on either side of the forehead, descending in a downward slope, and not connected in the middle.
Food and lodging will be in tents.
Day 14: Transfer Back to Juba
Start your day with breakfast and say goodbye to Mundari Land. Take a last look at the landscape, forests, savannah, and the mighty White Nile river.
Continue on your drive towards Terekeka, and then on to Juba, where you will spend the rest of the day at your hotel or on a tour of Juba city.
Day 15: Airport Transfer & Departure
Your final wild safari driver guide will transfer you at the agreed time to the airport for your scheduled departure time for your flight back home.
This will be the end of your safari in South Sudan.
